Beehive



Patented Sept. 1, 1925.`

UNITED STATES PATENT oFllHcpE.,l

JOHN M. erBBs, or WYLIESBURG, VIRGINIA. v

BEEHIVE. Y

lApplication illed November 6,r 1924; Seriall Nc. 748,171.

To all whom it may, concern.' i

Be it known that I, JOHN M. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wyliesburg, in the county of Charlotte ,and Statel of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Beehive, of which the following isa specifi- 1 cation.

This invention is a bee hive, and one object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the bees may iind their way into the frames which 'carry the honey 'and lthe comb. Another object of the invention is soto construct the hive that the bees can build in the toporwarmestpart of the hive. It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the;

" utility of device of'that `type to which the K invention appertains. v

with the above and other Objects kin View, the invention'consists in the novelcon'struction and arrangement of parts hereinafterA described, depicted in the drawings, and claimed, it being understood that, within V the scope ,of whatr is claimed, a mechanic` may makec'hanges inthe form selected as an embodiment, without departingzfrom the spirit of the invention, due regard being had to what I claim hereinafter as the' distinlid of the bee hive has been removed; Figurel In the drawings: Y

Figure `1 shows in vertical section, a bee hive constructed in accordance withmy invention; Figure 2 is a top plan wherein the guishing characteristics of my invention. 30

3 is a perspective view showing one of the Y frames; Figure 4vis a fragmental vertical section disclosing a modilication, the lining y or packing being omitted; Figure -5 is a top plan wherein the 'structure of rFigure 4 appears; Figure 6 is a sectional view slnnlar to Figure 4 but showing the cleats in re1a" tion to the lid.

The numeral 1 marks V a pallet, or any suitable 4support whereon the hive may be erected. A base 2 rests on the-pallet 1 and 1 is provided on its upper surface, and nearto itsvedge, with an upstanding ribfor 'cleat 3, within which areplocated' the loppositely disposed sides 4 4 and v5-5 of"l the hive, the sides 4 being received between the sides 5, as disclosed in Figure 2. `The lid 6 of vthe hive rests on thel sides 4 and 5, the sides resting at their' lower ends on the base 2; In

` Order to hola the, 11d c in plac, u1@` ud has fwill retain heat.V In order to provide a.

means whereby the bees may enter the hive, the base 2 vis provided with oppositelyr disposed notches or openings y10, extended beneath the sides 4, the Vouter walls of thelinings 9 having notchesy 40 in their. lower edges, the notches being located above .thel openings I10 in the base 2,"the rib 3 being (cut away las at 111,' so thatiit does not extend `across. the openings 10 inthe'base' 2.1

A' plurality of 'frames isfsetJlP-gndwise in the hive, within'therlinings 9,onfopposite sides of thepartitionthe'vframes being supported on the base 2.1"'As made clear 1n Figure 3, each frame," comprises anf end member orbottom bar12,"an,end 1n ember or Atop bar'14, and side strips 15. The lbottom bar 12 is provided intermediate its ends' with a reduced neck 16, there being a groorvel? in the bar 12 and its neck 16, the groove being adapted ,to receivethewax 18 from which the bees beginQto build The reduced neck Y 1'6jforms a space 1 9beneath theneck, `and a. space 20 fon each'side of the neck. When theframes are set up on end inthe hive, as

shown'rin Figure 1, the spaces` 19, 'together with the notches' 40 inv the llinings 9, forin- Vpassagest 21y immediatelyabove the base 2,

these *passages communicating with lthe openings :10 in the base 2 andp'ernjiitting the bees to pass inwardly toward the center of the hive, it being'possibl'e'for the bees to find their way upwardly within theframes,

because the side-spaces l20 infthelvb'ase bars V12 of adjoiningframes cooperate to form verticalopenings 22, clearly shownin Figure 1. The top bar14 of each frame is'vpro-r vided with a reduced neck `23',[orming a space 24 above the neck, and forming spaces 25 on each side'of the neek, thosespaces25 which are adjacent to the inner andv outer Too vwalls of the linings 9 forming openingsadson, zand, often, will ,render Lit .unnecessary to fstow .the hive ,away in a .cellar or elsewhere.

'l-hedeviceis so constructedthat the bees .may move about-readily within z-the hive, and fthebees can work at the upper portion of thehiveLitbeing a .matter-.ofcommon knowlerally is warmer than therlower portion.

.edge .that the upper portionfvof Aa hive gen- AThe fhive forming the subject .matter Aof this .application `generally is made 'of wood,

and the` Aparts thereof tend to swell, when wet. Y In vorder to facilitate the setting up and the taking .down of the hive, and in order to compensate -automatically .for the .swellingabove l.alluded to, recourse 'may be k'had-to that i'orm of the invention which is v f ydelineated injEigures4,v5 and vv6.

In Figures 4j, 5 and 6, parts hereinbetore described Vhave fbeendesignated by numerals previouslyusei with the'sutliX a?. cleats, corresponding to the cleats 3 and 7' of; Figure l, ,arej denoted :by :the numeral 28 landare inthe formiof .platessl-idably mount.- edon the-basetand on the lida, the cleats ,havingelongated i slots `31, receiving securi ing elementsy 32, such as. screws, engaged with thebase 2a :and ywith `the ylid i6?, and permitting the -cleats to slide inwardly and outwardly, to a limitedeXtent, on :the .base 2a' and on the lid @6a. The cleats have upwardly and inwardly inclined webs 34, terminating in approximately horizontal flanges 29, adapted .to be received in seats or grooves 30 inithe Walls of `the hiverofwhich the parts 29--4a zof' Figure 4 ,may be taken as typical. Rods or plungers Syare secured .at their inner ends to the. parts"3 4 ot' the cleats 28, the outer .ends rof the rods sliding Il :guidefbrackets S5-:secured atV 36 to the `base 2a land to the lid 6a. .Compression springs ,3,7 surround the rods 133 and .abut against ithe brackets 35 andthe webs 34of Ithe cleats 28, the spring-stending to holdv the flanges .29 ,of the Tcle'atsyieldably engaged in the Y ,seats 30 which are formed in thesides--of the hive, thereby Vto compensate zmtomatically `for `changes in dimensions arising out `'of the `swelling or'contr'action of the wood. out ot which .the hive is made.

lt-wijlllbe understood that the ymechanism i shownin Figures 4, r5 .and .6 may .be omitted `or used, vat1-3he-will of van operator.

I claim The frames.- y

sprin.

1. kA bee hive comprising, as cooperating elements, a base and a side,l one oi said cooperating elements havingfan entrance, and

aplurality of fra-Ines withinthe hive, each trame including a bottom member supported o n the base, the bottom member having a reduced neck 'delining a space below the neck and spaces on each side of the neck,the first speciiied spaces of the bottom members of y,adjoini-n-g. trames 4coacting to form a passage leading inwardly from the entrance, and the second-speciiedspaces of the loott-om members' of adjoining frames xcoacting vto Yform openings.communicating Lwith' the passages and with the interior .-otfthe frames.

2. A bee hive compri-singes .cooperating elements, a base and a side, vrone* offsaidf'cooperating elements having anentrance, vand a plurality of Vframes within the hiv-e, each lframe including a .top member, and a bottom member supported -on vtheqrbase,eachA membervof the frame having a reducedineck, `the necks :of the top members `.delinin-g a spacegabove said necks,:-and the necks of the bottom fmembers `delining. a space below said necks, the :necks of the to-p and bottom members defining spaces-Eonv :each kside of said necks, the lirst-specilied spaces'o `the bottom members forming `passage leading .inwardly from the entrance, and the first,-

speciiiedspaces-o the top-.members ,itorfmingv afcorresponding passage -at the ftop' of/'the .v-hive, the second {speciied spaces .of vthe :top l:and bottom members v definingV openings communicating `with the respective passages and with the interior of the trames.

3. A bee` hive comprising a base-anda side `supported thereon, .a lining Vc oacting with lthe side, .and having :a V.notch Tin" vits lower edge, the base Vhaving a :notch rin ,its edge,

the notch communicating .with thenotch in the lining,and a plurality o'f frames lwithin the hive, each :trame including a 'bottom member supported on the base, the bottom member having -a :reduced neck Adefining a space below the neck andspaces on each side fof the neck, the 'first-specified A'spaces of the -bottom members oi :adjoining frames, Vand .the vnotch i-n the lining, coacting to form a passage leadingiinwvardly from fthe notch in the base, and thel second-specified spaces oct fthe bottom .members `of I'adj oining trames'gcoacting to form openings commnnicatii'ig lwith the ,passage and with lthe interior` of the Y 4. A bee hive comprising a Seide, and .cooperating parts yincluding a lbase-and a lid, one of said cooperating partsca-rrying a movable cleatcoacting with thelpside, and means for holding the cleat yieldably 'engaged with tthe side.

5. A bee hive comprising .a iside, and cooperating' parts including a base land la lid,

a cleaton one of said cooperating parts and coacting with the side, a bracket on the cooperating part which carries the cleat, a plunger mounted on the cleat and slidable in the bracket, and a compression spring about the plunger and disposed between the bracket and the cleat.

6. A bee hive comprising a side, and oooperating parts including a base and a, lid, the side having a seat, a cleat on one of said cooperating parts and received in the seat,

a bracket on the cooperating pertwhoh car-v 10 ries the cleat, and spring means interposed.

between the bracket andthe cleat tov hold yas my own, I have hereto affixed my sgna- 16 f ture. t

JOHN M. GIBBS. 

